Fish Identification Photos: Pacific Silverstripe Halfbeak, Hyporhamphus naos: The Pacific Silverstripe Halfbeak has a very silvery appearance, translucent green back, silver stripe along the flank with a dark boarder that widens toward the rear, white belly, ridge before the eyes, and a characteristic long lower jaw with a red tip.

The anal fins are directly under the dorsal fin. The pelvic fins of the Pacific Silverstripe Halfbeak are closer to the caudal fin than to the pupil of the eye. The pectoral fins are short and the caudal fin is concave and translucent with a dark border.

The Pacific Silverstripe Halfbeak, due to its red tipped beak, is most likely confused with the Choelo Halfbeak, Hyporhamphus gilli (short beak with a red tip; distance from the pelvic fins to the caudal fin is greater than the distance from the pelvic fins to the eye pupil).

The Pacific Silverstripe Halfbeak is a coastal pelagic species that reaches a maximum length of 12 inches and is found normally in the first 90 feet in the water column over sandy bottoms.

It is present in all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean with the possible exception that it appears to be absent from around the oceanic islands. Although abundant at certain times of the year, due to size, rarity, and inability to survive a panga bait tank it is deemed to be of limited value to most.

The Pacific Silverstripe Halfbeak is a member of the Hemiramphidae Family which are known in Mexico as pajaritos.

Pacific Silverstripe Halfbeak, Hyporhamphus naos: Shows up on a very rare occasion when one purchases a “scoop of bait.” Caught in the surf zone, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, April, 2005, water temperature 70-degrees, early morning in 10 to 20-foot deep water utilizing a cast net by panguero bait salesmen. Size, approximately 7 inches. Fish identification courtesy H.J. Walker, Jr., Scripps Institute of Oceanography, La Jolla, Calif. Description and photo courtesy of John Snow. Pacific Silverstripe Halfbeak, Hyporhamphus naos: Caught on the fly by Dutch angler Ton van Dalen at East Cape, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Description and photo courtesy Peter Langstraat.